COMPLIANCE CASE STUDY: OWTS
 

Rural Auckland is a special place, but the remoteness also means that many homes are relying on onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) to manage wastewater. OWTS is not like a reticulated sewer system in the city which residents can forget about. When a property has an OWTS, it means the property is treating and disposing wastewater onsite within the boundaries of that property. OWTS requires regular maintenance and care. The consequences of not doing so range from bad odour to major risks to health. Leaky and poorly maintained OWTS allow germ laden wastewater into the natural environment, seeping into streams and then into our valuable coastal environment.
 

Auckland Council's licensing and regulatory compliance unit undertook a project to check OWTS maintenance requirements in the Little Oneroa area. This presentation will talk about the difficulties we encountered, our methodology, findings and learnings.